Garmin Astro vs. Garmin Alpha GPS Dog Tracking Systems

We get a lot of questions on the new Garmin Astro and Garmin Alpha model tracking and Track & Train Collars; So, I hope this will explain any questions that you may have.

First I must say that these are the coolest tracking devices that I have ever seen! Both models allow
you to track at least 10 Dogs from a distance of up to 9-miles and with the Alpha the number goes to 20 Dogs! If
your dog is 5 miles away, you can’t possibly know it they are barking…Wrong! Garmin’s Bark Detection lets you
know your dog is barking even if it’s out of audible range! This is a crucial feature for treeing hounds or running hounds that cover a lot of ground, even in heavy cover.

Garmin’s Astro is a tracking / GPS system only and Garmin’s Alpha is a Track & Train System that offers 18 training levels of continuous and momentary stimulation and tone and vibration alerts!

Astro

The unique Astro dog tracking system pinpoints your dog’s position and shows you exactly where he is on a vivid color screen, even when you can’t see or hear him. The Astro system has the features you’ve been asking for, such as increased range and battery life, more durable antenna, a simplified user interface and must-have mapping capability.

Astro minisite – See Your Dogs’ Every Move

The Astro system includes the Astro handheld and the rugged transmitter collar¹ with an orange polyurethane strap (accessory color straps sold separately). Features top mounted GPS and GLONASS
receivers and a newly-redesigned steel VHF antenna. Switching to rescue mode reduces the refresh rate in order to preserve battery life, giving you more time to look for a lost dog. Plus, Collar Lock creates a 4-digit PIN number
that helps prevent others from seeing your dog’s whereabouts — a useful feature in field trials to ensure that an Astro is used only as a recovery tool when a dog in competition becomes lost.

Bark Detection

lets you know your dog is barking even if it’s out of audible range, a crucial feature for treeing hounds or running
hounds that cover a lot of ground, even in heavy cover.

Improvements to the Garmin Astro

The intuitive and easy-to-use Astro system takes dog tracking to an entirely new level with new software for the Astro which supports the dog device and adds new features, such as bark detection. The interface streamlines what is displayed by allowing dogs that are outside the current zoom level to have their location notated in the display’s margin. You can also choose the amount of each dog’s tracklog displayed, or toggle it off completely, to avoid cluttering the map.

Both durable and waterproof, the Astro 320 system features the legendary toughness that’s built to withstand the elements, whether it’s dust, dirt, humidity or water. Nothing is a match for this essential hunting companion.

Upgrade with Ease

Getting what you need for the hunt is now a little easier. You can purchase the entire Astro bundle or as many collars as you need. And your Astro is compatible with every DC series dog collar. The Dtransmitter is our only dog device with remote bark detection and improved battery life (including battery preserving rescue mode). The improved battery life means when you set your update rate to every 5 seconds the battery lasts 26 hours. In rescue mode, the battery lasts 54 hours, giving you more time to find your lost dog.

Additional Mapping

The Garmin Astro 320 has a microSD™ card slot so you can load TOPO U.S. 24K maps for land elevation contours or City Navigator NT® map data for turn-by-turn routing on roads. Astro also supports BirdsEye Satellite
Imagery (subscription required), that so you can download satellite images to your device and integrate them with your maps. Mapping depicts important nearby geographical features and lets you know if your dog has crossed a creek or is
nearing a dangerous road.

Astro is also compatible with Garmin Custom Maps, free software that transforms paper and electronic maps into downloadable maps for your device.

Track Dogs in Dense Cover

As often as every 5 seconds, your dog’s DC 50 transmits his position to your handheld, and you can see his current location and a trail of where he’s been on the map page of your handheld. Switch over to the Dog Tracker page to view a compass pointing to your dog’s location as well as his current status: whether he’s running, sitting, on point or treeing quarry. Astro also can let you know when your dog is barking, even if he’s out of audible range.

You can also see each dog’s precise distance on the map page, and you can choose to auto zoom the map so all dogs can be seen on the display at any time. Dogs that are too far away to fit on the map’s current zoom scale can be notated on the display’s margin in the direction of the dog’s location. You can also choose the duration that each dog’s tracklog is viewed on the display, or toggle it off completely.

Astro boasts a high-sensitivity GPS and GLONASS receiver which is mounted to the top of the collar so that can track your dog’s position even in heavy tree cover or deep canyons. You can track up to 10 dogs at one time with Astro, from up to 9 miles away (depending on terrain). The system transmits information by line-of-sight, so it reaches farthest in flat, open territory.

Count Your Coveys

After you’ve captured your quarry, mark the exact spot with Astro’s Covey Counter™, a special waypoint that tells you the exact location, time of day and elevation where you found your prey, as well as the number of birds you flushed and took from that location. Astro lets you save other special waypoints, such as “Truck” and “Lodge,” so you can save the location of these places quickly and easily for each hunt. Astro also offers special waypoint icons to represent food plots, tree stands and other hunting-related points.

Plan Your Next Trip

Take charge of your next adventure with BaseCamp, software that lets you view and organize maps, waypoints, routes, and tracks. This free trip-planning software even allows you to create Garmin Adventures that you can share with friends, family or fellow explorers. BaseCamp displays topographic map data in 2-D or 3-D on your computer screen, including contour lines and elevation profiles. It also can transfer an unlimited amount of satellite images to your
device when paired with a BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription.

Turn Your Computer Into a Base Station for Tracking Dogs

The all-new BaseStation lets you turn your laptop (loaded with BaseCamp) into a field control center for tracking multiple dogs (additional DC 50 collar units required). View real-time GPS/GLONASS information on the larger display of your computer, making it ideal for canine search and rescue teams. And because it’s Garmin GPS-based, safer, more effective tracking is possible, even where Internet and cell phone service isn’t.

Meet the Garmin Alpha

Achieve optimum performance from your sporting dogs. Alpha combines proven GPS dog tracking technology with Tri-Tronics electronic dog training. This easy-to-use integrated handheld system allows you to track and train your dogs in the field from a range of up to 9 mi, delivering their exact position as often as every 2.5 seconds.

With Alpha 100 and TT™ 10, pinpoint up to 20 dogs or hunters’ exact positions on a large, glove-friendly touchscreen display even when they are out of sight. Because Alpha 100 comes preloaded with 100K U.S.TOPO maps, you’ll always know your surroundings.

Track Your Dogs

Measure each dog’s speed, distance and the direction being traveled. Plus, receive notifications when a dog is “Treed” or “On Point.” A single Alpha 100 can track up to 20 dogs or fellow hunters when using either additional Alpha 100 handhelds or TT 10 devices (each sold separately, not compatible with Astro®).

Upgrade your view with a BirdsEye TOPO maps subscription for a better-than-real-life view of terrain, including roads, water, woods and more.

Train and Control

The Garmin Alpha 100 helps you train and control your dogs to stop chasing unwanted game or “recall” to your position. Easy to access training buttons allow you to communicate separately to each dog through safe and
effective features, including 18 levels of momentary and 18 levels of continuous stimulation or an audible tone command. Plus, a lockout setting is available to avoid accidental stimulation or tone.

Two modes of level progression let you customize your training even further. Traditional stimulation allows you to make quick changes within a predetermined stimulation level (low, medium or high), whereas linear stimulation allows progressively more stimulation through all 18 levels available.

Extend Your Battery

When using the TT 10, switch to Rescue Mode to prolong the battery life. When the TT 10 reaches a certain battery level, it will slow down the update rate at which it pings Alpha 100 from every 2.5 seconds to every 2 minutes. This mode should provide additional battery life to the TT 10, giving you more time to search for and locate your dog.

Turn Your Computer Into a Base Station for Tracking Dogs

The all-new BaseStation lets you turn your laptop (loaded with BaseCamp) into a field control center for tracking multiple dogs and/or buddies (up to 20 Alpha units or TT 10 collars). View real-time GPS information on the larger display of your computer, making it ideal for canine search and rescue teams. And because it’s GPS-based, you’ll get safer, more effective tracking, even where Internet and cell phone service isn’t available.

The world of tracking your dog’s sure has changed and with the addition of these two fantastic products produced with the combined technology of the leader in electronic collars TriTronics and Garmin the leader in GPS systems you will not be disappointed with either of these products.

Joe Scarpy

Author Bio: Joe is the founder of HuntEmUp.com, The Worldwide Sporting Dog Superstore and Owner of Bull Valley Retrievers, Northern Illinois Retriever Training, specializing in all-breed obedience and Retriever Field and Gun Dog work. Joe brings to the table years of training and hunting experience as well as knowledge of the latest hunting and training products on the market, to help you make your hunt and dog the best he can be.

At HuntEmUp.com, we know sporting dogs. From the time they’re a puppy, through their senior years, we’ll keep you informed on the latest news and information. For more information on Training, Preparing and Caring for your Dogs, read our Hunting and Sporting Dog blog.

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